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Simone Bianchi (artist)
Encyclopedia
Simone Bianchi is an Italian
comic book
illustrator
, painter
, graphic designer
and art instructor, known to Italian audiences for his work in comics, CD covers, music videos, TV commercials and role-playing games, and to American comic book readers for his work on Detective Comics
, Green Lantern
and Wolverine
. Bianchi’s style is distinguished by his use of ink wash, or watercolor halftones, in rendering his work, a non-traditional technique by mainstream American standards.
, Tuscany
, Italy
, where he still lives today. As a child, he had a love of superheroes, and took to tracing and copying illustrations of Spider-Man
, Daredevil
, the Fantastic Four
, Batman
and Superman
before he learned how to read and write.
, and went on to produce cartoons and vignettes
in several other regional and national publications. In 1994, Bianchi met comic book artist Claudio Castellini
, who became his teacher and mentor. Subsequently, Bianchi illustrated the premiere issues of Nembo for Phoenix of Bologna, and Rivan Ryan for Comic Art of Rome
, and 20 plates of Brendon for Sergio Bonelli Editore
.
In 1998 his work was exhibited at a comic book convention in Lucca alongside well-known American comic book illustrators Will Eisner
, Andy Kubert
and Adam Kubert
.
Bianchi was commissioned by Metal Blade Records
to illustrate the CD cover for Timeless Crime, a CD by the Italian power metal
band Labyrinth
. That same year he was hired as an assistant to Ivo Milazzo in teaching a course on comic book art techniques at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Carrara
(School of Fine Arts).
In 1999 Bianchi illustrated the cover of Fantastici Quattro (Fantastic Four
) for Wiz magazine, and a one-shot Conan Il Barbaro (Conan the Barbarian
), both published by Marvel Italia, the Italian branch of Marvel Comics
.
Bianchi illustrated the cover of the debut album of the progressive power metal band Vision Divine
, which was voted by metal and hard rock fans as the second-best album artwork worldwide. Bianchi’s other album cover work included "Sigma" by Athreia Records, and Labyrinth’s album, Sons of Thunder for Metal Blade Records.
That same year Bianchi became a full-time teacher of Anatomy for Comics at the Scuola Internazionale (International School) di Comics in Florence
. In the 2000, the School, along with publisher Calvin Edizioni, published Echi, Bianchi’s first art book, highlighting his varied works over the previous three years.
In 2001, began working for Direct to Brain, one of the leading 3-D video production studios in Europe, doing character design, storyboarding, scene design, graphic design
and artistic supervision of 3-D modeling. Among his clients included hip hop
/reggae
group 99 Posse
’s “Stop the Train” (for BGM Records), “Kitchen Tools” for Virgin Records
, and “Per me per sempre” (“For Me Always”) for BGM. In November and December that year, Bianchi did work for Fantasy Flight Games
’s role-playing game Dragonstar
. He also painted a poster for the Scuola Internazionale di Comics in Florence, illustrated Vision Divine’s album Send Me an Angel, and taught a second illustration course at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Carrara.
In 2002 Bianchi, working for Pegaso, illustrated the four elements of earth, air, fire and water, on which resin
sculptures were based. That summer, he published his second art book, The Art of Simone Bianchi. He also painted five illustrations for Eldec, and worked again for Direct to Brain, this time for a Coke
commercial. That December, he began work writing and illustrating the first volume of Ego Sum, for Vittorio Pavesio, the 44 pages of which took him most of 2003 to fully paint. The first volume of Ego Sum was published in hardcover on January 16, 2004, in Italy, France
, Canada
, and Luxembourg
. The second volume followed that year.
In 2004 Bianchi attended the annual Festival International De La Bande Dessinée (International Comics Festival) comic book convention in Angoulême, France, where he met Sal Abbinanti, a comic book penciller
and the personal agent of American comic book painter Alex Ross
, which led to Abbinanti signing Bianchi as one of his clients. In the Fall of that year, Bianchi painted the cover of an issue of Atomika
, a comic book created by Abbinanti and Andrew Dabb that debuted the following year.
In October 2005 Bianchi’s third art book, Onirika, was published by Vittorio Pavesio Productions and presented to the public at a convention in Lucca, for which he painted the official poster, on which he collaborated with his sister Gloria.
In the summer of 2004, Bianchi lived in New York City
, and met artist Mike Bair, whose work Bianchi admired. Bair introduced Bianchi to DC Comics
editor Peter Tomasi
. After a few proposals, Tomasi gave Bianchi Grant Morrison
's script for Seven Soldiers
: Shining Knight, which became Bianchi’s first American work. and published in 2005.
The same year, Bianchi did his first American work for Marvel Comics
, illustrating a number of covers for X-Men Unlimited
.
Bianchi’s illustrated the interiors of Green Lantern
#6 (December 2005), and subsequently illustrated the covers for issue #8 (March 2006) to issue #13 (August 2006), which were written by Geoff Johns
.
Bianchi first ongoing monthly work for an American Marvel book was Wolverine
#50 (March 2007) to issue #55 (September 2007), which was written by Jeph Loeb
. To highlight the look of Bianchi’s ink wash work, each of these six issues was offered to readers in both a color and black-and-white version.
Bianchi’s other Marvel work includes covers for Ultimate Origins
, Astonishing X-Men
and Thunderbolts
.
Bianchi also illustrated the covers of Batman
, from issue #651 (May 2006) to issue #654 (August 2006).
Bianchi signed a two-year exclusive contract with Marvel in February 2006, citing his childhood love of the superhero
genre, and his greater familiarity with Marvel's characters. Though he will not be doing any European work during the contract, it allowed him to continue the cover work he began previously for rival DC Comics
’s Detective Comics
, which ran from issues #817 (May 2006) to #839 (February 2008).
Bianchi also hopes to continue his work on Ego Sum, the third book of which he has yet to begin, though he has not spoken with Marvel as to whether they would publish it in the United States.
Bianchi and writer Warren Ellis
together worked on Astonishing X-Men, having taken over the book after the departures of Joss Whedon
and John Cassaday
. Following this he provided the art for the limited series Thor
: For Asgard written by Robert Rodi
.
Bianchi credits Michael Bair
with contributing to his success, and a photo of them when they met in the Summer of 2004 hangs in his studio.
Bianchi uses extensive photo reference and a light box to give his artwork a realistic look. He uses a wooden drawing board that he used to draw on flat, but angled it due to back pain that he began having in 2006. He says that he cannot work unless he is listening to music, and has an extensive music collection in his studio, and stereo speakers placed above his drawing board.
Bianchi's studio, which is in his apartment, is divided into two parts: His work area, and that of his assistant, Andrea Silvestri, where their computer is kept. His studio is decorated extensively with shelves and glass cases housing action figures, sculpted figurines and other toys, and his artwork, which fills the walls.
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
, painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, graphic designer
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
and art instructor, known to Italian audiences for his work in comics, CD covers, music videos, TV commercials and role-playing games, and to American comic book readers for his work on Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
, Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
and Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
. Bianchi’s style is distinguished by his use of ink wash, or watercolor halftones, in rendering his work, a non-traditional technique by mainstream American standards.
Early life
Simone Bianchi was born July 10, 1972 in LuccaLucca
Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca...
, Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where he still lives today. As a child, he had a love of superheroes, and took to tracing and copying illustrations of Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
, the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
, Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
and Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
before he learned how to read and write.
Italian work
When he was fifteen, he published humor comic strips in the daily newspaper Il TirrenoIl Tirreno
Il Tirreno is a regional Italian newspaper, which is printed in Livorno and published in Tuscany. Il Tirreno also features sixteen local editions around the whole region....
, and went on to produce cartoons and vignettes
Vignette (graphic design)
Vignettes, in graphic design, are decorative designs usually in books, used both to separate sections or chapters and to decorate borders.In Descriptive, or Analytical Bibliography for the hand-press period a vignette refers to an engraved design printed using a copper-plate press, on a page that...
in several other regional and national publications. In 1994, Bianchi met comic book artist Claudio Castellini
Claudio Castellini
Claudio Castellini is an Italian comic book artist. According to his website, Castellini has a "love for technical details, influenced by artists like Neal Adams and John Buscema".-Biography:...
, who became his teacher and mentor. Subsequently, Bianchi illustrated the premiere issues of Nembo for Phoenix of Bologna, and Rivan Ryan for Comic Art of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, and 20 plates of Brendon for Sergio Bonelli Editore
Sergio Bonelli Editore
Sergio Bonelli Editore is a publishing house of Italian comics. It takes its name from its president and comic book author, Sergio Bonelli....
.
In 1998 his work was exhibited at a comic book convention in Lucca alongside well-known American comic book illustrators Will Eisner
Will Eisner
William Erwin "Will" Eisner was an American comics writer, artist and entrepreneur. He is considered one of the most important contributors to the development of the medium and is known for the cartooning studio he founded; for his highly influential series The Spirit; for his use of comics as an...
, Andy Kubert
Andy Kubert
Andrew "Andy" Kubert is an American comic book artist, son of Joe Kubert, and brother of Adam Kubert, both of whom are also artists...
and Adam Kubert
Adam Kubert
Adam Kubert is an American comic book artist known for his work for publishers such as Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and DC Comics, including work on Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Superman and Ghost Rider.Kubert has established himself as one...
.
Bianchi was commissioned by Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is a record label which was founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The U.S. corporate office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Arizona, Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distributed in the U.S. by Sony BMG Music...
to illustrate the CD cover for Timeless Crime, a CD by the Italian power metal
Power metal
Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...
band Labyrinth
Labyrinth (band)
Labyrinth is a power metal band formed in 1991 in Massa, Italy. The band underwent a change in style and themes after the departure of Olaf Thorsen in 2002.-1990s:...
. That same year he was hired as an assistant to Ivo Milazzo in teaching a course on comic book art techniques at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Carrara
Carrara
Carrara is a city and comune in the province of Massa-Carrara , notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some west-northwest of Florence....
(School of Fine Arts).
In 1999 Bianchi illustrated the cover of Fantastici Quattro (Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
) for Wiz magazine, and a one-shot Conan Il Barbaro (Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
), both published by Marvel Italia, the Italian branch of Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
.
Bianchi illustrated the cover of the debut album of the progressive power metal band Vision Divine
Vision Divine
Vision Divine is a progressive power metal band formed in Italy in 1998.-History:Originally a solo project from Olaf Thörsen...
, which was voted by metal and hard rock fans as the second-best album artwork worldwide. Bianchi’s other album cover work included "Sigma" by Athreia Records, and Labyrinth’s album, Sons of Thunder for Metal Blade Records.
That same year Bianchi became a full-time teacher of Anatomy for Comics at the Scuola Internazionale (International School) di Comics in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. In the 2000, the School, along with publisher Calvin Edizioni, published Echi, Bianchi’s first art book, highlighting his varied works over the previous three years.
In 2001, began working for Direct to Brain, one of the leading 3-D video production studios in Europe, doing character design, storyboarding, scene design, graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
and artistic supervision of 3-D modeling. Among his clients included hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
/reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
group 99 Posse
99 Posse
99 Posse is an Italian hip hop/reggae group from Naples. It raps both in Italian and in the local Naples dialect. Most of 99 Posse's songs deal with political or social issues, and the group members are considered left-wing hardliners...
’s “Stop the Train” (for BGM Records), “Kitchen Tools” for Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
, and “Per me per sempre” (“For Me Always”) for BGM. In November and December that year, Bianchi did work for Fantasy Flight Games
Fantasy Flight Games
Fantasy Flight Games is a Roseville, Minnesota-based game company that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games. Fantasy Flight Publishing was founded in 1995 by its CEO, Christian T. Petersen. Since the release of its first game product in 1997, the company has been doing...
’s role-playing game Dragonstar
Dragonstar
Dragonstar is a futuristic magic-meets-machine campaign setting created by Fantasy Flight Games for Wizards of the Coast's D20 role-playing game system. The setting describes a galaxy under the dominion of the Dragon Empire...
. He also painted a poster for the Scuola Internazionale di Comics in Florence, illustrated Vision Divine’s album Send Me an Angel, and taught a second illustration course at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Carrara.
In 2002 Bianchi, working for Pegaso, illustrated the four elements of earth, air, fire and water, on which resin
Resin
Resin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials...
sculptures were based. That summer, he published his second art book, The Art of Simone Bianchi. He also painted five illustrations for Eldec, and worked again for Direct to Brain, this time for a Coke
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
commercial. That December, he began work writing and illustrating the first volume of Ego Sum, for Vittorio Pavesio, the 44 pages of which took him most of 2003 to fully paint. The first volume of Ego Sum was published in hardcover on January 16, 2004, in Italy, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. The second volume followed that year.
In 2004 Bianchi attended the annual Festival International De La Bande Dessinée (International Comics Festival) comic book convention in Angoulême, France, where he met Sal Abbinanti, a comic book penciller
Penciller
A penciller is an artist who works in the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms.The penciller is the first step in rendering the story in visual form and may require several steps of feedback with the writer. These artists are concerned with layout to showcase...
and the personal agent of American comic book painter Alex Ross
Alex Ross
Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross is an American comic book painter, illustrator, and plotter. He is praised for his realistic, human depictions of classic comic book characters. Since the 1990s he has done work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an...
, which led to Abbinanti signing Bianchi as one of his clients. In the Fall of that year, Bianchi painted the cover of an issue of Atomika
Atomika
Atomika is an American comic book series created in 2005 by Andrew Dabb , Sal Abbinanti and Buzz , and published first by Speakeasy Comics and later by Abbinanti's Mercury Comics.-Plot:...
, a comic book created by Abbinanti and Andrew Dabb that debuted the following year.
In October 2005 Bianchi’s third art book, Onirika, was published by Vittorio Pavesio Productions and presented to the public at a convention in Lucca, for which he painted the official poster, on which he collaborated with his sister Gloria.
American work
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and met artist Mike Bair, whose work Bianchi admired. Bair introduced Bianchi to DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
editor Peter Tomasi
Peter Tomasi
Peter J. Tomasi is an American comic book editor and writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. As an editor, he oversaw numerous books featuring the Justice League, including books starring various members of that team, such as Batman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern and the Flash...
. After a few proposals, Tomasi gave Bianchi Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
's script for Seven Soldiers
Seven Soldiers
Seven Soldiers is a comic book metaseries written by Grant Morrison and published by DC Comics. It was published as seven interrelated mini-series and two bookend issues. The series features a new version of the Seven Soldiers of Victory fighting to save Earth from the Sheeda.-Publication...
: Shining Knight, which became Bianchi’s first American work. and published in 2005.
The same year, Bianchi did his first American work for Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, illustrating a number of covers for X-Men Unlimited
X-Men Unlimited
-Volume 1:The purpose of this title was to run stories that fit between the main X-Men comics. The stories included all characters from the X-titles, and the issues were collections of short stories...
.
Bianchi’s illustrated the interiors of Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
#6 (December 2005), and subsequently illustrated the covers for issue #8 (March 2006) to issue #13 (August 2006), which were written by Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
.
Bianchi first ongoing monthly work for an American Marvel book was Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
#50 (March 2007) to issue #55 (September 2007), which was written by Jeph Loeb
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...
. To highlight the look of Bianchi’s ink wash work, each of these six issues was offered to readers in both a color and black-and-white version.
Bianchi’s other Marvel work includes covers for Ultimate Origins
Ultimate Origins
Ultimate Origins is a comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics, released in June 2008. It falls under Marvel's Ultimate Marvel imprint. It was written by Brian Bendis and illustrated by Butch Guice...
, Astonishing X-Men
Astonishing X-Men
Astonishing X-Men is the name of three X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics, the first two of which were limited series. The ongoing series began in 2004, with its first run written by Joss Whedon and art by John Cassaday. It was then written by Warren Ellis with art by Phil Jimenez. Daniel...
and Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
.
Bianchi also illustrated the covers of Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, from issue #651 (May 2006) to issue #654 (August 2006).
Bianchi signed a two-year exclusive contract with Marvel in February 2006, citing his childhood love of the superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
genre, and his greater familiarity with Marvel's characters. Though he will not be doing any European work during the contract, it allowed him to continue the cover work he began previously for rival DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
’s Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
, which ran from issues #817 (May 2006) to #839 (February 2008).
Bianchi also hopes to continue his work on Ego Sum, the third book of which he has yet to begin, though he has not spoken with Marvel as to whether they would publish it in the United States.
Bianchi and writer Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
together worked on Astonishing X-Men, having taken over the book after the departures of Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
and John Cassaday
John Cassaday
John Cassaday is an American comic book artist and writer, born in Fort Worth, Texas and currently residing in New York City. He is known for having a high level of precision and realism in his work....
. Following this he provided the art for the limited series Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
: For Asgard written by Robert Rodi
Robert Rodi
Robert Rodi is an American novelist, playwright, comic book writer, essayist, and performance artist.-Biography:...
.
Influences and work habits
Michael Bair
Michael A. Hernandez is an American comic book artist , best known for his work as an inker. His work includes Marvel Comics' Alpha Flight, and DC Comics' Hawkman...
with contributing to his success, and a photo of them when they met in the Summer of 2004 hangs in his studio.
Bianchi uses extensive photo reference and a light box to give his artwork a realistic look. He uses a wooden drawing board that he used to draw on flat, but angled it due to back pain that he began having in 2006. He says that he cannot work unless he is listening to music, and has an extensive music collection in his studio, and stereo speakers placed above his drawing board.
Bianchi's studio, which is in his apartment, is divided into two parts: His work area, and that of his assistant, Andrea Silvestri, where their computer is kept. His studio is decorated extensively with shelves and glass cases housing action figures, sculpted figurines and other toys, and his artwork, which fills the walls.
DC
- Green LanternGreen Lantern (comic book)Green Lantern is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics heroes of the same name. The character's first incarnation, Alan Scott, appeared in All-American Comics #16, and was later spun off into the first volume of Green Lantern in 1941. That series was canceled in 1949 after 39 issues...
, vol. 4, #6 (2005) - Seven SoldiersSeven SoldiersSeven Soldiers is a comic book metaseries written by Grant Morrison and published by DC Comics. It was published as seven interrelated mini-series and two bookend issues. The series features a new version of the Seven Soldiers of Victory fighting to save Earth from the Sheeda.-Publication...
: Shining Knight, miniseries, #1-4 (2005)
Marvel
- Astonishing X-MenAstonishing X-MenAstonishing X-Men is the name of three X-Men comic book series from Marvel Comics, the first two of which were limited series. The ongoing series began in 2004, with its first run written by Joss Whedon and art by John Cassaday. It was then written by Warren Ellis with art by Phil Jimenez. Daniel...
#25-30 (2008–09) - Uncanny X-Force: Fear ItselfFear Itself (comics)"Fear Itself" is a 2011 crossover comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of a seven-issue, eponymous miniseries written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Stuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Laura Martin, a prologue book by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Scott Eaton, and...
, miniseries, #1-3 (2011) - WolverineWolverine (comics)Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
, vol. 3, #50-55 (2007) - Thor: For AsgardThor (Marvel Comics)Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
, miniseries, #1-7 (2010–11)
Covers
- BatmanBatman (comic book)Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
#651-654 (2006) - Detective ComicsDetective ComicsDetective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
#817-839 (2006–2008) - Green Lantern, vol. 4, #8-13 (2006)
- ThunderboltsThunderbolts (comics)The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
#115 (2007) - Ultimate OriginsUltimate OriginsUltimate Origins is a comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics, released in June 2008. It falls under Marvel's Ultimate Marvel imprint. It was written by Brian Bendis and illustrated by Butch Guice...
, miniseries, #1-2 (2008) - Dark AvengersDark AvengersDark Avengers was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is part of a series of titles that have featured various iterations of the superhero team the Avengers...
/X-MenX-MenThe X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
: Utopia, miniseries, #1-6 (2009)
Awards
In 2005 Bianchi was awarded with the Yellow Kid Award for the Best Italian Comic Artist and Writer of the Year at the Expo Cartoon Convention in Rome, for his work on Ego Sum.External links
Interviews
- REFLECTIONS: Talking with "Wolverine" artist Simone Bianchi, Comic Book ResourcesComic Book ResourcesComic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
, October 27, 2006 - REFLECTIONS #210: Simone Bianchi, Comic Book ResourcesComic Book ResourcesComic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
, June 3, 2007 - Interview on Comic Geek Speak Podcast (March 2007)
- Interview on Comic Geek Speak Podcast (February 2008)